Repair works on some loose joints on the highly strategic Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos, will commence on Saturday, August 2, 2008 at noon, and not today as reported.
But the all-important link bridge between Lagos Mainland and the Island, the major business hub of the nation, will not be closed to traffic although vehicular movement will be streamlined.
Mr. John Albertazzi, a representative of the contracting firm, Messrs Borini Prono, revealed this after a stakeholders� meeting yesterday at the glasshouse office of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Abuja.
Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mr. Tunde Ekunsumi, also said that movement on the bridge had been designed to flow effortlessly rather than being closed completely.
Between 12 midnight and 12 noon, only commuters moving into Lagos Island from the Mainland (Oworonsoki axis) would be allowed on the bridge, he said.
�At Adekunle, they will either exit (right) to Ebute Metta or turn left across an open space in the median and then turn right and drive against traffic up to Adeniji Adiele where they can either exit to the Island or move on to Ijora or Obalende, Ikoyi or Victoria Island.
�There will be signs at the exit points of Ikoyi, Obalende, Victoria Island, to advise motorists, who are barred from the bridge, on alternative routes to use during the period,� Ekunsumi said.
According to him, �a reverse movement will take place between 12.30pm and 1pm, when there will be a change, to midnight.
�The Lagos end of the bridge will be opened at this time, and the Mainland end of the bridge will be closed to traffic. There will also be signs to warn motorists on alternative routes to take during the period.�
Yesterday�s meeting was attended by the Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Transportation, Mr. Opeifa Kayode, Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority (LAMATA), the Federal Road Safety Commission, and the police, among others.
The two-week extension for the commencement of work is to allow for proper sensitisation of Lagosians and of people from outside the state who would need to navigate their way round the anticipated traffic congestion the work would cause.
Also, during the two-week period, Borini Prono is expected to make other roads in Lagos motorable to ensure smooth flow of traffic when repairs eventually begins.
There would be adequate road signs at the project site approaches to direct vehicular movements, adequate lighting along the bridge between 6pm and 6am, and a new 200KVA generator to support FERMA�s 200KVA generator.
Kayode said the Lagos State Government supports the project and had set machinery in motion to ensure smooth flow of traffic, and advised the Ministry of Transportation to leave coordination of transportation to the state.
�We support the repairs of the damaged parts of the Third Mainland Bridge; and not just the Third Mainland Bridge but of all bridges in the country and in Lagos State. We also agree that in a situation of safety time is of essence and we cannot afford to delay beyond the required time. We are also saying that we are determined and we are ready to work with the contractor and the federal authorities and the Controller of Works in Lagos State to make sure that everything will be done during the period of maintenance to make sure that motorists and pedestrians do not suffer,� he said.
He, however, said it was not just Third Mainland Bridge that would be affected by the repair works, but the entire Lagos State, because the work would spill over to Anthony Village clover outlet that controls the entire Lagos traffic.
He said: It will spill over to Oshodi-Apapa road and that could ground the entire Lagos West. This same repairs could spill to the tollgate via Ibadan. It could close or block the entire Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way and the entire Ketu-Ojota down to Ikorodu Town.�
He said the Lagos State government sees the bridge repairs as an effort by the Federal Government to improve the standard of living of the people of Lagos �and we are very happy about that�, but that the repairs should not translate to hardship for the people, hence the request for a two-week extension.
The state government, he said, would join the Federal Government to ensure that the project succeeds and that it had started tinkering with various options for traffic control on the bridge and elsewhere during the period.
He said 100 to 150 buses would be deployed by LAMATA and several others by bus, in order to manage high capacity fleet.
�We have met about five ferry services that can ply the Ikorodu-Oworosoki route to Victoria Island-Obute Ero axis and we are getting some positive responses,� he said.
The government, he said, is looking into an alternate route.
Jul182008